LOCATION ESPANOLA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lamellic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Espanola gravelly sandy clay loam--on the riser of a steam terrace sloping 82 percent to the west-southwest (240 degrees) at 7,260 feet elevation-forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry throughout.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches, slightly decomposed needles twigs and leaves; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine irregularly shaped pores; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones, and 2 percent boulders; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
E and Bt1--8 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand (E part), brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist, single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; 50 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); two lamellae of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly coarse sandy loam (Bt part), strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; lamellae are continuous, nearly horizontal, and 1.5 inches thick for a combined thickness of 3 inches; 25 percent gravel; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
E and Bt2--16 to 31 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand (E part), brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist, single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse, common medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; 45 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); two lamellae of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly coarse sandy loam (Bt part), strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common faint clay bridges between sand grains; lamellae are continuous, nearly horizontal, and 2 inches thick for a combined thickness of 4 inches; 20 percent gravel; clear wavy boundary. (11 to 16 inches thick)
Bt--31 to 45 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4), extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common coarse, common medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; very few faint clay bridges between sand grains; 55 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 18 inches thick)
C1--45 to 54 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4), extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse, few medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; 55 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; non to slightly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as very few fine irregularly shaped coats on rock fragments; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)
C2--54 to 67 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4), extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; 60 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
C3--67 to 81 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4), extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 65 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 4 miles south-southeast of Cundiyo; 2,550 feet north and 1,000 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T.19N., R.10E.; USGS Cundiyo 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 54 minutes 20 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 52 minutes 39 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface)
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section(SMCS) is moist in all parts from January to May and intermittently moist in some part from June to December. The SMCS is dry in some part less than 60 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The soil moisture regime is typic ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 34 to 47 inches
Lamellae - Sum of thickness is more than 6 inches to a depth of 80 inches
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, and schist
Salinity, mmhos/cm - 0 to 2
Sodicity, SAR - 0 to 4
Particle-size control section weighted averages - Silicate clay content: 6 to 8 percent in E part and 12 to 22 percent in the Bt part; Sand content: 60 to 85 percent; Fine sand or coarser content: 50 to 70 percent; Rock fragment content: 50 to 80 percent
A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Clay content: 20 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 25 to 35 percent
20 to 25 percent gravel
3 to 6 percent cobbles
1 to 2 percent stones
1 to 2 percent boulders
E and Bt horizons
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly loamy sand, or very gravelly loamy coarse sand in E part and very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly sandy clay loam in the Bt part
Rock fragments: total range is 50 to 80 percent
45 to 60 percent gravel
5 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Bt horizon
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture: extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam and extremely gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragments: total range is 60 to 75 percent
55 to 60 percent gravel
5 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
C horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Texture: extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly coarse sand, or extremely gravelly loamy sand
Rock fragments: total range is 60 to 85 percent
55 to 65 percent gravel
5 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 10 percent stones
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Palon and Pimsby series. Palon soils have rock fragments derived from rhyolite, are dominated by cobbly horizons, and do not have subhorizons over 3 inches thick that are a part of the argillic horizon. Pimsby soils have hues of 5YR or redder in the Bt horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Espanola soils are on risers of high stream terraces adjacent to valley floors. They formed in alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist. Slopes are 35 to 85 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,700 to 8,400 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches with about 40 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Enmedio, Fiesta, and Morenda soils. Enmedio soils are loamy-skeletal over fragmental, have mollic epipedons, and occur on south-facing backslopes of hills. Fiesta soils are fine-loamy, have mollic epipedons, and occur on footslopes of valley sides. Morenda soils are coarse-loamy, have water tables within 5 feet, and occur on low stream terraces of valley floors.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very high runoff; permeability is moderately rapid in the subsoil and very rapid in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Espanola soils are used for timber production and recreation. Present vegetation is a forestland canopy of ponderosa pine and Gambel oak with an understory of mountain muhly.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Espanola soils are of small extent on the southwestern Sangre de Cristo part of the Southern Rocky Mountains province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 49.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 1999. Espanola is the name of a community.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 2 to 8 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - composed of lamellae in upper part from 8 to 31 inches and a continuous horizon from 31 to 45 inches. (E and Bt1, E and Bt2, and Bt horizons)
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.